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Deadly typhoon slams Vietnam ahead of APEC summit

Typhoon Damrey has killed at least 49 people, leaving tens of thousands homeless and forcing thousands more to flee floodwaters. Less affected but battered is Danang, the venue of next weekend's APEC summit.

Vietnamese authorities said on Monday that at least 49 people had been killed by torrential rains, driving winds and flash floods across Vietnam, especially its coastal regions. At least 27 people are missing.

Typhoon Damrey, Vietnam's 12th major storm this year and its second typhoon in a month, slammed into the East Asian nation's coastline on Saturday, packing 135-kilometer-per-hour (84-miles-per-hour) winds that caused power blackouts and uprooted trees, according to the communist state's Steering Committee for Disaster Prevention.

The committee said heavy rains continued throughout Monday and that more rain was expected in the coming days.

Many shops had to stay closed on Monday

It said more than 30,000 people had been forced to evacuate and some 116,000 homes had been submerged or damaged, with flood levels close to surpassing records set in 1997, according to the Agriculture Ministry.

Vietnam's Disaster Management Authority said rainfall would likely last until Tuesday and that flooding could worsen.

Worst in years

"This is the worst it has been for many years. The waters rose very fast," said Nguyen Thi Thuan, 64, sitting on one chair, with her feet on another, as water seeped into her clothing shop in the ancient capital of Hue.

In the old trading town of Hoi An, another popular tourist attraction, boats are the only mode of transport, and shops had to remain closed on Monday.

Hue, the old imperial capital, also was flooded.

The brunt of the storm struck the southern city of Nha Trang, a little more than 500 kilometers (310 miles) from Danang, where the APEC summit is due to start on November 10.

Trump, Xi and Putin

The economic summit is set to bring together 21 Pacific Rim nations, including China and Russia, as well as the United States. World leaders are expected to attend, including US President Donald Trump, China's Xi Jinping and Russia's Vladimir Putin.

The old Imperial capital Hue City is also affected by Typhoon Damrey

But in the host city Danang, typhoon winds and rain tore down signs promoting the APEC meeting.

"I call all officials, soldiers and citizens of Danang city to come together and try their best to clean up after the rains and welcome delegates to APEC," said Huynh Duc Tho, the chairman of its city's people's committee.

In Hoi An, a tourist spot about 30 kilometers south of Danang that is due to be visited by some spouses of APEC leaders, water rose up to 1.5 meters (5 feet). On Monday, it was unclear whether the visit will go ahead.

"If anyone from APEC comes to see (Hoi An) and sees the condition it's in at the moment - it's dreadful," Hoi An resident Andrew Lambie told the AFP news agency, as a river snake swam past his home.

Vietnam's toll from storm-induced flooding and landslides so far this year stands at 240 lives lost.

Natural disasters across Vietnam over the past two decades have killed more than 13,000 people and caused more than $6.4 billion (5.5 billion euros) in property damage, according to the World Bank.

Hurricanes - the power of devastation

Three names - one phenomenon

Hurricane, typhoon, and cyclone are actually three names for the same phenomenon. Along the North American coast they are called hurricanes, in East and Southeast Asia they are called typhoons, and near India and Australia they are called cyclones. But despite the different names, they develop in the same way.

Hurricanes - the power of devastation

A cyclone is created

Tropical storms develop over oceans when the water temperature is at least 26 degrees Celsius (79 degrees Fahrenheit). As the warm water evaporates and condenses, the air around it heats up and drags cooler air upwards, creating powerful winds.

Hurricanes - the power of devastation

The eye of the storm

The Earth's rotation causes the air stream to move around the eye of the storm, which can be up to 50 kilometers wide. This area is nearly completely free of clouds and wind.

Hurricanes - the power of devastation

A storm hits land

When a tropical storm hits a coastline, it becomes weaker due to the lack of warm water. In Australia, "Marcia" was soon downgraded to a category one storm, while "Lam" weakened after striking near Brisbane. Masses of water from the sea often cause the worst damage - as seen here in China after Typhoon Nanmadol in August 2011.

Hurricanes - the power of devastation

Chaos ensues

Hurricane Sandy was one of the strongest hurricanes ever recorded over the Atlantic Ocean. It caused waves of up to 4 meters high, fires, power outages and broken dykes. Sandy arrived with winds at speeds of more than 145 kilometers per hour. Cuba, New York and New Jersey were particularly affected.

Hurricanes - the power of devastation

Destructive vortex

Tornadoes however, are non-tropical whirlwinds that can occur anywhere a storm is brewing. Local temperature differences force warm air upwards and cold air down, and a column of warm air rotates upwards at an increasing velocity. Tornadoes are usually only a maximum of 1 kilometer in diameter.

Hurricanes - the power of devastation

Fastest storms

As the warm air rises, it forms a funnel, the main characteristic of a tornado. Inside the funnel, the speed of the air can be tremendous - up to 500 kilometers per hour. Tornadoes are the fastest whirlwind type of weather phenomenon.

Hurricanes - the power of devastation

Trail of destruction

A tornado can leave a trail of destruction several kilometers long. In the US Midwest, tornadoes occur several hundred times a year, as dry, cold air from the north hits damp, warm air from the Gulf of Mexico. It's different in other countries - in Germany, for example, tornadoes occasionally occur along the coast.